As the holiday season and Christmas approaches, the ever-popular Santa Claus story is pulled out once again and used in our commercialized society excessively…to the point, we are encouraged to believe Christmas is more about a robust Saint Nick than the birth of the Savior of the world.
Feeding into this Santa Claus commercialization and in an effort “aimed at in-the-closet atheists who are pressured to observe religious traditions,” an atheist group has placed bill boards throughout Bible Belt states, including Arkansas and Missouri, featuring a child writing a letter to Santa. The child writes, “I’m too old for church.”
It’s enough to say that the atheists are seeking to take Christ’s message out of the Christmas holiday, but it’s also interesting that the atheists chose to use Santa Claus to do it and show bill board readers that they might be unfamiliar with the legends surrounding the man that we call today, Santa Claus.
The Christmas tradition of Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas evolved from the tale of a kindly Christian Bishop from Turkey. According to legend, the Bishop was in fact a Christian missionary who spent his wealth visiting the poor and sick. According to one story, the Bishop even paid the dowry for impoverished young girls who might have been sold into slavery without his assistance.
In Protestant Holland, the Dutch celebrated Sinter Klaas’ benevolence with a feast day (separate from Christmas) that would have been celebrated on December 6th. And as far back as the 18th century in America, Dutch New Yorkers gathered their families for a celebration in December on the anniversary of the death of Sinter Klaas.
While Santa Claus is commercialized today and lacks the Christian message his name once carried, the original Sinter Klaas was a kind and giving soul, who gave in the true spirit of Christmas all year around. And the true legend of Santa Claus is generally accepted as having a Christian origin.
Though the atheists may not agree, we’re never too old for church or the true meaning of Christmas which is centered around the manger. Even a group of atheists, unwittingly using a legendary Christian Bishop to validate and commercialize their message, can’t take Christ– the Savior of the world– out of Christmas!
[Reposted from a newsletter by the New Mexico Center for Family Values]
Political Fireball 
It’s not that they forgot, it’s that you missed the message. The billboard is saying that the kid believes in Santa but doesn’t believe in the bronze age fables she’s being told in church. Sadly, Santa is more believable. In any event, it appears you may need a bit more of a history lesson. Celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas is ridiculous, as even the pope has agreed that if Jesus even existed, he was born in the spring. Christmas, like most other Christian holidays today, is a hijacked pagan holiday that the Christians claimed as their own. It didn’t have Christ in it to begin with. Most of the traditions associated with Christmas are from the pagan solstice holiday (trees, gifts, yule logs, mistletoe, etc). The Christians inserted Jesus and took it over for themselves. So maybe it’s time Christ leaves Christmas alone. It’s better without him.
LikeLike
Thanks for your input. Your comment is interesting…you seem to forget that there *would* be no Santa Claus without the birth of Christ and the Christmas church. There were no “saints” in the Christian realm until after Christ and their were no bishops until after Christ. Are you saying that Santa Claus is a Christian fairy tale based on a larger Christian fairy tale? LOL You’re using what Christ created, to somehow discredit Christ! 😉
There would be no “Christmas” without Christ. Even if you were right and Christmas drew from pagan holidays, think about it– the very name, “CHRISTmas” cannot be ignored.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Again you’re missing the point. Yes, it wasn’t called Christmas until it was hijacked by Christians. It was a pagan solstice celebration, and all of the traditions associated with the holiday were stolen by Christians. There is no Santa Claus, we all know that. Regardless of where the legend comes from, the current iteration of Santa does not exist. The irony in the billboard is that believing in Santa is easier than believing the bible, a book full of contradictions, not to mention murder, torture, slavery, and misogyny.
LikeLike
It doesn’t really matter what day Jesus was born. If God had thought it important He would have made sure it was documented. He didn’t want us ‘worshipping’ a day He wants us to worship the Saviour. That being said I’d like to address your statement that Santa is easier to believe in than God…..really? An benevolent old man who lives in a North Pole factory surrounded by mythical creatures. He is all seeing and all knowing. Sound familiar? Santa gives gifts depending on one’s behaviour and belief in him…hmmmmm think about that pardner.
LikeLike
mommy look, another miserable atheist!
doesn’t take a degree in sociology to realize that Christian people are generally happier, have stable families and are more tolerant of other peoples’ ideologies.
atheists? not so much; they’re the maladjusted douchebags who as kids, outed Santa Claus to everybody before heading out to torture small animals.
LikeLike
Wow, look who stopped by on Christmas Eve to spread their hate and intolerance — a typical ignorant Christian. You start by saying Christians are tolerant of other people’s ideologies, and then go on to call atheists douchebags who torture animals? Yeah seems pretty Christian of you.
For your information, I’m far from miserable. I just got finished with a wonderful Christmas week, surrounded by my loving, happy, stable family (despite your unfounded claims). It seems you could stand to learn a bit about who atheists are, what they represent, and how fulfilling our lives actually are. But then again, you could just keep judging people you don’t know anything about instead. Didn’t Jesus say something about that? Oh yeah…
LikeLike
Are you bored or what?! LOL…
LikeLike
Some atheists, not all thank God, religiously push their belief that faith based systems are farce-Irony.
The more these atheists slam Christians – in particular – the more word is spread that this system is under attack. People don’t like bullies. As a secular citizen, I never maligned anyone for being a Christian or any other faith and have always stood up to aggressors. They’re just cowards, after all and no one of consequence.
What amuses me is that if many in good faith did not hold a belief in afterlife judgment, the bullies of this world would have call to be extremely wary. Man’s punishments are not really much these days thanks to liberal judges and juries.
Merry Christmas!
LikeLike
One more thing, to say the Bible is full of contradictions displays a sore lack of any knowledge in this area. Yes, I know, I thought so, also, but instead of sneering at others, I decided to find out for myself. Then, I started to believe and even though I agree Christmas is pagan in origin, the reason for the season remains.
Honestly, no one is smarter than God. Satan wants you to believe you are, though..
LikeLike
I was raised Catholic, was later a saved Christian, then atheist. I’ve studied theology, philosophy, amd orld religions. I know the bible better than most Christians. To assert that I have a lack of knowledge in the subject is inaccurate.
LikeLike